Differential mechanism.



G. D. BAILEY & F. E. RICE.

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1915.

1,180,464. Patented Apr. 25, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEEY I.

G. D. BAILEY & F. E. RICE. DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 19x5.

1.180,!64; Patented 25,1916.

v i 3 SH --SHEET 2.

G. D. BAILEY & F. E. RICE.

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION min MAY 22, 1915.

[. .1 80 464; Patented Apr. 25, 1916v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- iii on ITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. BAILEY AND FRANK E. RICE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TOGEARLESS DIFFERENTIAL CO., A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

DIFFERENTIAL Iv'IECHANISM.

Application filed May 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Gnonun D. BAILEY andFRANK E. RICE, citizens of the United States, and residents of the cityof Detroit, in the county of \Yayne and State of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Differential Mechanisms; and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of thesame, reference being; had to theaccompanyiugdrawings, and to the numerals of refercuce marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Many objections exist to the use of the usual type of differential gearused on motor car rear axles and practically all may be traced to thefact that the rear wheel to which is offered the least tractiveresistance, receives the most power from the differential, whereas thewheel having the most traction receives the least power. As aconsequence, if one driving wheel of a motor car sinks into a. muddy orsandy hole and suflicient traction cannot be obtained by that wheel, thecar is stalled for the reason that due to the differential gear, theother wheel does not receive a sufficient amount of the drive to propelthe car. If a car is driven over a road wherein the rear wheels do notroll upon the same kind of surface, as for instance with one wheel onthe crown of a stone road and the other in dirt or sand at the side, theconstantly changing resistance .to the respective wheels causes ashifting of power from first one to the other, so that a dangerous sidesway is set up, which may result in serious accident, known as leavingthe road.

This invention relates to an improved type of differential wherein apositive direct drive is imparted to the wheel to which the greatesttraction resistance is offered, so that as a consequence where thewheels are revolving at different speeds. due to one cause or another.the slower revolving wheel receives the power to propel the car, thusobviating skidding. side sway. or stalling of the ear. I

It is an object therefore of this invention to construct a differentialmechanismqno Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Serial No. 29,764.

vided with differentially movable ratchet wheels and tilting leverQpawlsfor engagement therewith to drive thesalne simultancously ordifferentially, either forward or reversely. as the case may be, withthe direct drive being imparted in the case of differential movement tothe slower revolving wheel of the vehicle with which the differential isassociated.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a differentialmechanism consisting of differentially movable ratchet wheels anddriving segments with springimpelled tilting levers each operating as asmall walking' beam to interlock the ratchet wheels with the drivingsegments, one end of eachof said walking; beam pawls adapted tointerlock with a ratchet wheel for a drive in one direction, and theother end to interlock with the adjacent ratchet wheel for drive in theopposite direction.

Itis alsf an object of this invention to construct an improved type ofdifferential mechanism wherein the respective axle sections of asectional driving axle. have sccured thereon ratchet wheels adapted tobe driven differentially by a driving segment coacting with walking"beam spring impelled pawls, one'end of eacli of which is adapted todrive one of the ratchet wheels in one direction and the other end ofwhich is adapted to drive the other ratchet wheel in the oppositedirection, thus preventing the driving means for the differentdirections, forward and reverse, of rotation, to be engagedsimultaneously.

It is furthermore an important object of this invention to construct adifferential mechanism wherein tilting levers mounted in a driving ringcoact with ratchet wheels to drive the same. one end of each of saidlevers adapted to drive one ratchet wheel in one direction and the otherend of each lever adapted to drive the other ratchet wheel inditferential neehanism \lllt'll arts. to drive the slower revolvin wheelof a veliirle and whirh ma v be installed within the axle housing forreplacement of the diflerential gear on motor ears already in use. i

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more lullv described.

In the drawings. Figure 1 is a fragmentar plan view partly in elevationand partly in se -tien ot a motor (tar axle. equipped with aditterential mechanism embod \'in the ,prinriples of our invention. Fig.2 is a (letail sectional vietv with parts omitted. taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. is a detail set-tion taken on line 3 of Fig. '1. with partsomitted. Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line l l of Fig. l. withparts omitted. Fig. 5 is a detail seetion taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.with parts omitted. Fig.

(i is a detail view (it one of the tilting walkiilg beam levers orpawls. Fig. 7 is an en largred sectional detail of a slightly modifiedconstruction of dilierential meel'ianisnt. Fig. 5 a detail section online 8--S of Fig T. with the bevel gear omitted. Fig. '3 is a detailview of on of the. tilting walking beam pawls.

As shown in the drawiin the reference numeral 1. indiuates a hou;-in;tot-axle sections 2. the inner ends of whit-b projeet into adifi'erential housing 11, suitable bearings of course being provided inthe housings for said axle sections. Se m-ed on the inner ends of therespertive axle sertions 2. which are squared for the purpose. areratchet wheels l and 5. respmtivel). and journaled on the inner hubextensions of said ratchet wheels is a pawl (;l1l \'l11f f recessedelement; t3. the hub of whit-h is apertured. as clearly I shown inFijil. to re 'eive bolt. T. thert through. .lournaled upon therespective axle ertiotis and l \'irn flat against the outer hlllfi ttt'tot' eaeh ot' the respective ratrln-t wheels 4, and 3. are end members 9re peetivel v. which same shape 21 the, rarrving element 3. and arerigidly seeure lthereto by a number of bolts 1). whieh ol. our e are ofa greater radial distanrtfrom the axle sections than the outer peripheryof the re peetive ratrhet wheels 4 and 5. Rigidly held assoeiated withsaid carrying elenn-nt bv means of the bolts 1 are pairs of drivingratrhet seiI- ments 11 and 12. respectively. wliirh are dis posedintermediate the respeetive and members H and the rarnving element 'i.Secured in radial extension. whieh projert into the reeesses in aiddriving element 6. are har )0 .dened steel seat members 1?. upon\\'l1i('ll rest tilting levers or walking beam pawls 1t. As (-learlvshown in Fig. the ends of the respeetivtpawls ll. proieet throughint-lined V recesses 13. pro\ ided in the respr-rtive ratrhet segment:on side r Wall 01' a recess formaresubstantially the 111;! an abutmentto contact the end of a pawl and hold the same. seated in theratrbetwheel to drive the same. and the other side or wall of the rece s actingt move the pawl out of engagement with the .ratehet wheel and into therecess.

(foiled springs it). are seated in plugs threaded into the drivingelement 3. and bear upon the rounded middle portion of each of the pawls11. to hold the ame upon the hardened steel seats 13. providedtherefor..\s c early shown in full lines in Fig. the l' ttthhtS 13. in theratrhet se nn-nt 11. are eat-h directed oppositely. and simil arl v therecesses in the ratchet segment 1;. are also eaeh directed oppositely.as shown in dotted lines. bevel gear 17. forms a part of one end member3. as clearly shown in Fig. 1. and meshing tllOF-GWitlI U) drive. thesame is a small bevel pinion 1h: moirntedin any suitable manner up n a'drive shattiprojeeting into the ditlerential hous ng 3.

In the nnidiiieation of our invention \illustrated in Figs. 7. h. and we'lnive'.. 'lio\\'n inner end of axle. seetions 151'. and 'oiu'n'aled onthe hulls of said ratehet wheels a pawl rarrymgrtng bearing tiltingpawls r3 somtwvhat similar in shape to the [iaiwls ll;

deseribed in the previous eonstrln-tionsand acting in a similar manner.being helil resiliently in plaee b v coiled springs L 'nloun naledonthe. outer hub extensions ol the respeotiveratchet wheels 1 and 2 areend members 33 and lb. and rigidlv .seeui'wl be, tween said end membersand the pawl earr vin;1 ring- J2. are dii\in 1 ratchet rings JT and :EH.respeetivel). .\s rlearlv shownlin 'J Lare provided. and four r:-eessesare pro\ titt'll llt-he ratohet' rings QT and .h'xrespew ti\'el twoi aidreres es. as elearl \'.sh-o\\'n. la-ing'Ylirertt-d one \va and two ;p}"o. itw.l v thereto. The end member if. is provided with an extend dflange to which is at tarhed a bevel gearv rin li \vhirh is-adapted tobe driven b a bevel pinion Eli-i. se

of the end of a pawl into one. of the'reresses 1' the ratehet wheel bvthe ratrhet oindrivin; segment whirh is disposed coneentrieally aboutthe ratrhet wheel and havilng the res resses 15. directed oppositeltutheone for drivin; the ratrhet wheel f rwardly anddhe other reversely. Dueto the tilting action of the ,pawls 14, it is possible for only one edin' revolve at the same rate direction and the other end thereof isadapted to drive the other ratchet wheel in an opment 11.

posite direction. Inasmuch as the respective driving or ratchetsegmentsll and 12, for the respective ratchet wheels 4 and 5, have therecesses 15, thereof alongside'of one another and directed oppositely,as shown in full and dotted lines in Fi 5, it is evident that when onewall of one recess impels one end of a pawl downwardly into engagementwith its respective ratchet wheel that the opposite wall of the otherrecess in the adjacent drivingsegment will elevate the other end of thepawl, such position of the pawls be.-

-ing clearly shown in Fig. 3.

\Vith the position of the parts illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, the righthand end of the upper pawl and the left hand end of the lower pawl arein driving engagement with the respective ratchet wheels 4 and 5, todrive both of the axle sections forwardly or in the direction of thearrow shown in Fig.

"5. The right hand end of the lower pawl 14, as clearly shown in Figs. 3and 5, is out of driving engagement with the ratchet wheel 4, andsimilarly the left hand end of the upper pawl is out ofdrivingengagement with the ratchet wheel 5. Howcver, in the event of thedrive of the motor car being reversed by properly shifting.thetransmission gears, the respective abutment walls of the recesses 15,of the driving segments 11 and 12, will cause the pawls to tiltoppositely from the position shown in Figs.'3 and 5, so that the'lefthand end-o the upper pawl will engage the ratchet w eel 5, and the righthand endrof therjower pawl will engage the ratchet wheel 4. Assuming thepawls to be in the position shown in Figs.

3 and 5, with the respectiie itchet wheels 4 and 5, drivenin'thedireetion of the arrow shown-in Fig. 5, and that the wheel "4, iscaused to rotate faster than its driving segment 11, due to the vehiclerounding a corner or some other cause, then the right hand end of theupper pawl, upon striking the opposite wall of the recess 15, will beelevated out of engagement with the ratchet wheels and lifted up fromits seat 13, against the compression of the spring 16, and will clickover the recesses in the ratchet wheel until the speed of rotation ofthe ratchet wheel again equalsthat of its drivingseg= Of course in theevent that both of the ratchet wheels 4 and 5, tend to rotate fasterthan their driving segments 11 and 12, assuming the pawls to be in theposition 'shown'in Fig. 3, the right hand end of the upper pawl willfirst be elevated out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 4, and thehand endof the lower pawl will engage the ratchet wheel 4., so that theratchet wheels, being rotated by the wheels of the vehicle as they coastalon will serve. to drive the associated driving elements ofthedil'l'crential device.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 5)inclusive. the oper ation is identical. structural differences, however.having been made so as to use more pawls, for heavier types of motorcars. Due to the fact that each pawl performs two functions, that is todriveone ratchet wheel in one direction by tilting one way, and to drivethe other ratchet wheel in the other direction when tilted the otherway. it is obvious that the pawl interlocking mechanism between theassociated driving elements and the ratchet wheels cannot possiblybecome engaged accidentally to lock a reverse drive for one of theratchet wheels during a for ard rotation of the parts, except in theinstance described in the fore going paragraph. wherein the rear wheelsof the vehicle serve to drive the driving mechanism when the vehicle iscoasting.

"eare aware that various details of construction may bc/varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention. andwe therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thanncu-ssitatcd by the prior art.

ive claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described. the combination with axlesections, of ratchet wheels secured thereon. recessed ratchet segmentsjournaled thcrcabout, a carrying element interposed between saidratchetsegments, tilting pawls extending transversely of said carrying elementinto recesses of said segments adapted when tilted to be wedged by oneof said segments with one of said ratchet wheels to effect a drive tothe ratchet wheel. and means driving said associated segments andcarrying element.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with ax'lcsections, of ratchet wheels secured on each thereof and rotatableindependently of one another with said sections, a carrying clementjournalcd on the. hubs of said ratchet wheels, driving scg nientsrigidly associated with said carrying element and having oppositelydirected rccesscs therein. and tilting pawls pivotally mounted upon saidcarrying element with the ends thereof engaging in the recesses inadjacent segments, one end of a pawl adapted to drive one ratchet wheeland akle stiou HI oncdlrection. and the oth'er end of the pawl adaptedto drive the other ratchet wheel and a.\'lc section in the oppositedircc turn. the pivotal.mounting of the pawl pernnttlng only oneendthereof to he engaged with a ratchet wheel for driving at onetime.

1.. In a device of the class descrihed the coin unation withiiulcpcndentlyrotatable axle cctions, ol' ratchet wheels rigidl) se'cured one on each of said sections. a carry ing element journaledtherehetwec'n having l'c('(. i(' therein. tilting levers mounted in thcrecesacw'in said carrying element tran 1- vcr cl thcreoli. one endthereof adapted to engage one ot silll "ratchet wheelk and the other endadapted to engage the other there ol-t'ordill'ercnt directions ofrotation.alul

i-. n'in'gs'holding aid tilting levers in posi g0 tion'perni'tting thesame to |a-.'nio'ved outwardlv against the compression of the ,springswhen one drivcn' ratchet wheel rotates faster than the carr \ingelement.

4. ri a device ofthe class descrihedthe coinlnnation with aXlc sections.of ratchet whcclS secured thereon. said ratchet wheels having cxtendedliuhsi a carrving element iournalcd on the inner cXtcnsionAol' each ofsaid ratchet wheels.panda pivotallv mount- 39 tl in said caruvinglcincnt. driving segna-n'ts rigidly associated with laid carryingclcincm adapted to engage with aiil 'p:i\\la when cnfiafi'cil. with theratchet wheels to \lrive th ratchct whcelx 'e'nd llltllllltlfi jourasnah-d -on the outer hul'rextcnsionk ot'aud rat het heels. ri Liv|'*connw'tions" lietwcen tlhl "endllltlll lfF-l ald drivingdegnicnts; andsaid:carijving element. and means asso "clalcd witlndncol said end -ln'-inhers to 40 drive the ainc and said sc L'llltlllS and carrv cl lncntjournalcd thcrchclween. T \\'all\'ing hcain pawls'plvotallv nioiflntedtransversely ol' aid carrying clement. one end of each o'l" vaatd pawlsadapted l'or engagement .w'lth a ratchet, wheel to drive the-same in onedirection and the otli cr adapted forengagement. \vitlrthe other-ratchetwheel to drive the ame in an "opposite directionfdr ving neg inentwmounted coiu-entriczill of eacll o1 ald aitelv directed recesses-torengagement with the 'cl'nlsol said pawls'to \\;'.e( lge,.the same illlnengagcnjicnt with the,i.atc'het wheel or -ilisengagc the aanietherelroln. .(le]')t -ndent v 150 .upnn the (-llltl'llhll of rotation ofthe carr mg, clcmentaiul ,segments. and means driv -j ing saidassociated eari: 'ving elementand 'scglncnt-s. v

(1. In a device ol llnykrlass described the (;5 oniihination with thealvle sections of a drivengage the ends ol -said pawls into the ingaxle, of ratchet wheels secured on Said respective sections, each ofSaid ratchet wheels having huh extensions on each side thereof. a,carrying element journaled on the inner huh extensions ofsaidjrzitehe'twheels. tiltingyawls mounted transverselv in said carrying element andcapable of tilting and pivotal vmovement. ratchet seg-' r lncnts rigidly,secured to said carrying element and disposed"hevond the periphery "of75. said respective ratchet wheels and adapted,"

-to wedge one end of'a tilting pawl into engagement wi h the ratchetwheel, and means driving saidnasociated ratchet segments and 1 carrvingelement to impart a drive to the '80 ratchet wheels. 'T. In a device ot'the class described the vttllll lllliltl lll with ratchet wheels, of aCar-l r vmg element. disposed therehetween, tilting 'rving eleinent. ol'tilting pawls'niounted' lrarisvcrselvon said -':\l'l' \'i|if elen'ient,eac'h aul adapted to engage one or'the other of said ratchet wheel andmeans adapted to \vcalginglv c :itztct the'cndsct said pawls to thrustthe same into engagementwith said ratchet wheels todrive the same. 1

-1 ln a device of the class described the con l'iination with ratchetwheels; tvfttiltirig i i awlg'i'nountcd transvershllv of 'sai'd ratchet'w lie'cl' each pawl adapted at one of its ends-'5 and at its" other endto engage-with tllel other of said ratchet '\\'hccl and meansfor-Lwedginglv thrusting the ends of 'said' pawlsi into driving engagementwith said ratchet whccls. a 1h, ln a device of the class describedthe-v11!) coinhinatinn with ratchet wheels, of tilting 1 aula l'orcrananiitting a drive thereto, said- "pawls mounted transverselv ofSaidratchet llttls.'tll( ends' of each pawl adaptedtd a engage saidratchet wheels, one end for oneratchet wheel and one end for. theother-J ratchet wheel. and means maintaining guid pawls engaged-withsaid ratchet wheels and transmitting-a drive thereto to relieve said,viiwls of heading streas. 11: difl'erential mechanism of the classdescribed comprising independently 'm0v-' ahle elements,transverselymounted tilting; pawls capahle of universal 'nmvementiiiranged with one end adapted to drive one of said elements and theother the other of said elements, and mechanism transmitting a drive tosaid elements through said pawls permitting release of the pawls fromsaid elements in the event of overtmvel of said elements with respect tosaid pawls.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE D. BAILEY. FRANK E. RICE. Witnesses H. P. BULL, A. H. SCHLENKER.

